PPO and high deductible plans are sold through Geisinger Quality Options, Inc. Self-funded plans are sold through Geisinger Indemnity Insurance Company.

History

Geisinger Health Plan, a not-for-profit health maintenance organization (HMO), serves the health-care needs of members in 42 counties throughout central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Begun in 1985, the Health Plan has steadily evolved into one of the nation’s largest rural HMOs by providing high quality, affordable health-care benefits.

Our roots evolved from a rural, prepaid health plan offered as a pilot program in 1972 to Geisinger Medical Center employees and residents of the five counties that surrounded the hospital. The five counties included Montour, Columbia, Northumberland, Snyder and Union. In 1985, the Health Plan received its Certificate of Authority to operate an HMO under the authority of the Pennsylvania Health Maintenance Act of 1973. The Health Plan had a significant premium advantage during the period of escalating health-care costs in the 1980s and ’90s. Membership grew rapidly, and in 1990, the Health Plan reached its 100,000-member milestone.

The popularity of managed care grew steadily, and new products were introduced to the marketplace. In addition to the traditional HMO coverage for groups and individuals, the Health Plan began offering third-party administrator (TPA) services through Geisinger Indemnity Insurance Company in 1994. In April 1994, the Health Plan introduced its Medicare risk product, Geisinger Health Plan Gold, which currently covers more than 40,000 members. In 1995, the Health Plan began offering a small business product for employers with 3-9 employees. The following year, a fully insured point-of-service (POS) product was launched. In October 2009, Geisinger Health Plan began offering the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

GHP continues to develop new products to help meet employers’ needs for plan options. “Solutions” is a variation of the standard HMO with a lower premium due to increased cost sharing for some services. Geisinger Health Plan Direct offers HMO coverage without the need for a referral. “Geisinger Choice” PPO products are available through Geisinger Quality Options, Inc., an affiliate of GHP. These options provide more flexibility in plan design and premium than the standard HMO.